Training programs in Basic Life Support are available all over Canada. There are many providers touting themselves as the best and the most affordable, but rarely both. Our training provider, Hamilton First Aid, offers both high quality and affordable training classes in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), all throughout the year. Health care providers and the general public are invited to enroll in our programs, depending on their needs, either training or certification – or both.
Prospective students can start their application process using the form below, e-mail, or telephone call. We highly encourage enrollment in person as well.
Business hours: From 8 AM to 5 PM, Mondays to Fridays (although classes are available during weekends).
Basic CPR versus Advanced CPR
Basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation classes are very different from advanced CPR (Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support) but they do have some similarities. The main concepts in CPR are taught in both courses but the setting is different from each. In basic CPR, we train students to manage victims and perform CPR in an out-of-hospital setting. In advanced CPR, we train students to manage victims and perform CPR in a hospital setting.
Basic Life Support at Hamilton First Aid
Basic Life Support training is available in two levels – CPR Level A and CPR Level C. CPR Level A is targeted towards laypersons, or people who do not work or are not familiar with health care. CPR Level C is more popular, targeted towards health care workers and professionals. The difference between the two is the pace and the topics included. The basic program for HCPs is paced faster, covering more advanced topics that health care providers are familiar with.
The teach students the importance of C-A-B when giving CPR. C stands for circulation, A stands for airway, and B stands for breathing. That means CPR rescue starts with giving chest compressions followed by ventilations. This is included in the Chain of Survival used in the management cardioplumonary emergencies, which has 6 steps or links.
- Assessing the victim and recognizing sudden cardiac arrest (SCA)
- Positioning hands and immediately start 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths
- Rapid defibrillation (if needed), with an automated defibrillation
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (for health care providers)
- Post-cardiac arrest care (for health care providers)
The Basic Life Support Training Credential
Training credentials in Basic Life Support need to be replaced every three years, since they expire. Technically, credentials cannot be renewed; instead, students who have previously taken Basic Life Support training no longer have to sign up for the full training course – they can just enroll in a basic CPR refresher class. Hamilton First Aid also offered Basic Life Support refreshers which run for 4 hours. The full program runs for 4.5 hours.
With risk factors for cardiac disease running prevalent in Canadian populations, CPR has become a very important skill to learn, not just by health care providers but also the general public. If you are interested in learning basic CPR, sign up for a Basic Life Support training program with us at Hamilton First Aid.